


Blurry lines

by LetMeTemptYou



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blood Magic (Dragon Age), Demonic Possession, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, Helpful Cole (Dragon Age), M/M, Slow Burn, Venatori
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:09:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29252739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetMeTemptYou/pseuds/LetMeTemptYou
Summary: After moving to Skyhold, life isn't easy for the inquisitor, with the Corypheus matter at hand and the responsibility to watch over the whole Thedas. Luckily, he's not the only one who spends his nights wide awake, and a good friend can be a lifeline in such difficult days. But what happens when that friend starts to blur the line to something more, in a world where loneliness is feared more than death itself?
Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus





	Blurry lines

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little random ff about my precious Dorian and my dalish inquisitor. Action will come in a few chapters. Still unsure about adding some smut in the end (I accept suggestions).  
> P.S.: I hope there aren't any incongruities, I tried to check things but I'm still new to this world. And I'm not a native English speaker, so there will be mistakes.

That night, Lavellan's mark was throbbing like never before. Dull strikes of pain ran through his left palm, depriving him of sleep. The faint twinkling of the Anchor flickered, like it was trying to convey some kind of message. After his encounter with Corypheus, it happened every now and then. However, that was the first time it was strong enough to wake him in the middle of the night. 

Was it something to worry about? Should he tell someone? As he sat up on his bed, the throb subsided a bit. He rubbed his eyes and watched the night sky beyond the windows. The huge pale moon lit up the snowy mountains, reverberating and illuminating the interior of the large bedroom. The silence was absolute. Sleep had vanished, leaving behind only a remnant of the daily weariness.

He was feeling restless, he needed to take a walk outside. Lavellan dressed up and opened the door. The great hall was dark and empty, the heavy door closed to keep the night's bitter cold outside. He took some silent steps, heading towards the internal garden to breathe some fresh air, but the thought of the night's freezing cold made him change his destination. He ended up taking a door on the left. Perhaps a book could distract him from his ailment and help him find the sleep he had lost. It was worth a try.

The circular room on the ground floor was empty and silent. Some thick volumes were stacked on the central table, but Lavellan moved on. It was Solas's research material, he wouldn't dare touch it. He looked up to the library on the upper floor and saw a trembling light. Someone was still awake. He gingerly climbed up the stairs, illuminating the steps with the pale greenish glow. He cautiously peeked into the recess nestled in the wall and met a pair of wide eyes.

“Inquisitor. Still up at this hour?”

Dorian was reading by candle light.

“I could ask you the same”, the dalish said. He closed his fist, feeling the faint pulse of the mark against his palm.

“I like studying at night. You know, more silence, less distractions.”

“If you want, I can go.”

“No way.”

Dorian closed his book without even marking the page and put it on a shelf.

“Were you looking for a reading?”

“Yes, actually.”

“Anything in particular?”

“The most soporific one we have.”

“Sleeping trouble, uh? Can't say I'm surprised.”

Lavellan hesitated just for a moment. He decided to tell him.

“The mark is acting up, it won't let me sleep.”

Dorian frowned.

“Does it hurt?”

“It's just a constant bother. It's like it wants to remind me of its presence, as if I could ever forget about it.”

Dorian reached out a hand.

“Mind if I take a look?”

Lavellan offered him the open palm. The Anchor's glow shined in shimmering stripes under the skin. Dorian's fingers traced them gently and then applied a light pressure in some spots, causing an annoying shudder to cover his whole left arm.

“Pain?”

“No, just a spread numbness.”

Dorian winced as he kept on staring at his hand.

“It's the first time I'm seeing something like this, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. I suggest you ask Solas about this, he may know more.”

“I don't want to bother him for such a thing. These days he's really doing his best and he needs to sleep like anyone else.”  
Dorian's tone became facetious.

“If there's someone here who is doing his best, he's right in front of me. I see you running back and forth all day like one of Leliana's crows. And even those grudgy bundles of feathers are sound asleep now.”

Dorian's fingers were tracing his inner forearm while they were talking.

“How far does the numbness go?”

“Up to the elbow, more or less.”

“I could try to soothe it with a spell, although I can't guarantee it'll be effective.”

Lavellan let out a quiet sigh.

“I'd be grateful if you could try.”

“Are you sure?”

The dalish raised an eyebrow.

“Is it a difficult spell?”

“It'll only take a moment.”

“Then you can try, can't you?”

Dorian's fingertips lined up on his forearm, starting from his wrist. As they pressed gently against his skin, Lavellan felt a soft warmth gushing from them and spreading everywhere. He couldn't really say whether it was a pleasant feeling or not, but... well, it was something.

“Better?”

Lavellan clenched his fist and rotated his arm a few times. It felt lighter, as if someone had just removed the lead core it had inside until a moment before.

“Yeah, that's amazing. Thank you.”

“Are you stressed out?”

Lavellan looked at him quizzically. Dorian smiled and walked up to a shelf packed with books.

“Sorry, dumb question”, he said. “You see, this is a spell used by healers, it helps with tensions and physical problems but has no use against magic. I didn't want to interfere with that thing, whatever it may be.”

Lavellan looked at the mark. The glow was almost gone, it was just hardly visible under the thin skin of his palm.

“It seems to react to his host's physical condition”, Dorian said, like he was thinking to himself. “It amplifies tensions, somatizing them. A noteworthy detail.”

Lavellan clenched his fist and sighed.

“Great, that's exactly what I needed. As if my anxiety level isn't already at its limit.”

Dorian was skimming through the titles on the shelves and picking out some books.

“As we say back home, you only discover your limits when you cross them. We're somewhat of a bunch of experts on the subject.”

He turned around with two books in each hand.

“Are you more interested in fish or rocks?”

Lavellan wasn't sure he'd heard right.

“Uhm... what?”

“If you had to choose. Which one of these topics would pique more of your interest?”

“Uh, I don't know... fish, maybe?”

Dorian handed him two books. He read the titles by the flickering light of the candles.

“ _Crests and crystals: geological symbols of dwarven clans. Old Antiva's construction materials._ What in the world should I do with these?”

“You were looking for some sleeping aid. I was about to suggest you a dissertation on the last Divine's customs, but I can't possibly be such a jerk after all you've done for us all.”

Lavellan chuckled.

“Do those kinds of books really exist?”

“Oh, they do.”

“Who reads them?”

“Nobody should, trust me.”

“Did you?”

“I know the dietary, hygiene and fashion inclinations of the entire Orlesian Chantry. It's not something I'm particularly proud of, needless to say.”

The dalish smirked. Dorian's manners never failed to impress him, as well as his extensive knowledge he never missed a chance to display. These were the main reasons why he'd always felt a deep admiration for him, since the very first time they had met. From then on, he had always brought him along during his trips, appreciating his magical skills more and more. And yet, he just realized they had never shared a simple conversation about other things besides enemies and strategies before.

The mage was sitting once again by the candle light. The elf settled back in the little indentation of the window next to him. Dorian, who didn't seem to expect further company, immediately stood up to offer his seat.

“Oh, please, I thought-”

“No, I'm fine here.”

“Perched on the windowsill like a nick-knack?”

Lavellan snuggled up against the window's glass, crossing his legs and not minding the man staring at him.

“It's comfortable here.”

Dorian raised an eyebrow but refrained from making comments and sat back down. Up close, Lavellan could see the dark circles under his eyes. It wasn't the first thing that drew attention, but they were still there.

“Have you settled in here in Skyhold yet?”, he asked.

“We've all been through some hectic days, haven't we? I didn't have the chance to take a good look around. Anyway, what matters now is that this place is safe and they have fixed the biggest holes. Although it's a bit too cold and bare for my taste, I've got to say.”

“Yeah, everything's so big and desolate. Despite the many people who walk these halls, I can't help but feel a bit lonely sometimes.”

Dorian leaned back against his chair and looked up to the ceiling.

“It kind of reminds me of home, at least.”

The dalish followed his gaze. A fluttering of wings came from upstairs and a tiny black feather fell twirling from a crack between the planks.

“Do you miss Tevinter?”, Lavellan asked.

“Sometimes. Some shreds of it, like the warm weather or the style of the buildings. And, of course, the sky without rips in it and the much easier life.”

“Yeah. You know, I never thought I would say this, but sometimes I'd like to go back to my clan too”, Lavellan said, resting his head against the glass. “All this pressure, these responsibilities... I miss being just a dalish like many others. If only-”

“With all due respect”, Dorian interrupted him, “are you sure that telling me all this is a wise choice? What would people think if they knew?”

Lavellan frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“The inquisitor confiding his worries and weaknesses to a tev? It could be the end for all of us.”

The elf was speechless. Was it one of his jokes? A really weird one? Yet, there was no trace of wit in his voice. This worried him a bit.

“Did something happen I should know of?”, he asked. “Internal quarrels or such?”

“No, nothing like that. It's perfectly normal that people don't see me in a good light, I've gotten used to it. And you should be careful as well, that's what I'm saying.”

“Really? They do?”

“Why shouldn't they? _'Oh, look, it's that evil, handsome tev that hovers around the inquisitor, who knows what sort of shady intrigues he's planning right now'_.”

“What...? Wait, handsome?”

“Well, they might be prejudiced, but there's still a limit to subjectivity.”

“Are there really such rumors?”

“The wording may differ, but that's the gist of it.”

Lavellan caught a glimpse of melancholic resignation in his seemingly light tone and got the feeling that the whole thing made him feel worse than he meant to show.

“You know, at first it was the same for me. Accepting a dalish as a mediator of their deity wasn't easy. Some of them still aren't convinced, they're here just because they're scared and they have nowhere else to go. But most of them gradually learned to accept me.”

“It wasn't even that hard, you just had to save their asses two or three times.”

Lavellan gave him a pat on his shoulder.

“They'll learn to love you too, don't doubt it.”

“Oh, but that would be a misfortune. Where would my dangerous outcast charm go?”

The dalish grinned and glanced at the books Dorian had picked for him. He stared at them for a moment, deep in thought.

“Dorian, you're a mage.”

“Am I?”

“Don't you know any sleeping spells?”

Dorian sighed.

“Of course I do, but I won't use them on you.”

“Why not?”

“For the same reason why I won't hit you on your head with the Encyclopedia Omnia. That would be effective too, but there's just no need for it. Those books are more powerful than anything else, believe me.”

Lavellan concealed with a half smile his faint note of disappointment and took his leave after wishing him goodnight. Faithful to Dorian's words, sleep came to get him after just a few pages.


End file.
